


Art for "Vita Aethelstani"

by Gryph



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Community: smallfandombang, Cover Art, Digital Art, Fanart, Multi, Small Fandom Big Bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-17 19:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1400377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gryph/pseuds/Gryph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Art for <i>Vita Aethestani</i> by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/oneiriad">Oneiriad</a> for <a href="http://smallfandombang.livejournal.com">SmallFandomBang</a>. The young monk Athelstan was sent to the North as part of a mission, to spread the word of God. Alas, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and he ended up enslaved and abused by the heathens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Art for "Vita Aethelstani"

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Vita Æthelstani](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1439113) by [oneiriad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneiriad/pseuds/oneiriad). 



I started watching Vikings for background on this story. Or at least that was the excuse; it was a show I've been meaning to watch for a while given my interest in all things medieval. And I will cop to squeeing when I saw the monks working on the Lindisfarne Gospel in the episode where Aethelstan was captured. So I wanted to do something that involved some of that illumination (Lindisfarne and Book of Kells are two of my favorite medieval manuscripts to use as inspiration for scrolls in the SCA). 

For the banner, I scanned in a couple of illuminted versals to use in the title, and also found some great knotwork clipart to use for the border. Since the story pretty closely follows the plot with a few twists, I found the perfect images screencapped.net's galleries for  Dispossessed. A bit of layering, and I'm really pleased with the result. I just love the expressions of the characters. For the section bars, I used clipart from the same source, and assembled it into a bar, then beveled it. I did one plain and one with the title of the story for the author to chose which to use.

Banner (click for full size)

[ ](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gryphon2k/657089/80027/80027_original.jpg)

Section Bars:  
[](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gryphon2k/657089/82396/82396_original.png)  
[](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gryphon2k/657089/81958/81958_original.png)  


For the mix covers, I found a screen cap of Athelstan that just grabbed me, of him right after his capture praying and holding his cross close. I used that for the front cover, cropped so it zoomed in on his face and cross as the focal point, and ramped up the vibrance to oversaturate the colors. The back cover is a crop of a "carpet page" from the Lindisfarne Gospels, a page that is just one big illumination, with no text. I darkened the exposure a bit so the colors would pop more and so the text of the tracklist would show better against it. The songs for the mix are chosen some for their overall ambience and some specifically for the lyrics representing Athelstan's journey throughout the story.

Mix (click covers for larger image):  
[](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gryphon2k/657089/82486/82486_original.jpg)   [](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gryphon2k/657089/82865/82865_original.jpg)  
[Download](http://anonym.to/?https://app.box.com/s/fba94up8d7k59dl51ykr)  
(78.6 MB | 12 songs, covers, lyrics)  
  
 **01 Prayer of Saint Francis by Sarah McLachlan**  
Lord make me an instrument of your peace,  
Where there is hatred let me sow love.  
Where there is injury, pardon.  
Where there is doubt, faith.  
Where there is despair, hope.  
Where there is darkness, light.  
And where there is sadness, joy.  
  
O divine master grant that I may  
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;  
to be understood as to understand;  
To be loved as to love  
For it is in giving that we receive-  
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.  
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.  
Amen  
  
 **02 I Surrender All by Laura Powers**  
True love conquers  
Temptation haunts the heart denied  
Timeless, ageless  
Through the mist I see your eyes  
  
 **03 Something to Believe In by Clannad**  
I've been willing and strong all along  
Through chilling times  
In a sea of heartbreak  
Where you give and take  
I won't give in to promises  
Until I find something to believe in  
To believe in  
  
 **04 Searching by Atli Orvarsson**  
 _Instrumental_  
  
 **05 Night Ride Across The Caucasus by Loreena McKennitt**  
Take me with you on this journey  
Where the boundaries of time are now tossed  
In cathedrals of the forest  
In the words of the tongues now lost  
  
 **06 Broadsword by Jethro Tull**  
I see a dark sail on the horizon set under a black cloud that hides the sun.  
Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding.  
Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman.  
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.  
Take women and children and bed them down.  
  
 **07 The Living Light by Elfin Saddle**  
I am weak and starry-eyed  
Starry-eyed  
I am weak and starry-eyed  
Starry-eyed  
‘til the ray of sunshine  
‘til the ray of sunshine  
  
 **08 Fire by Noah Gundersen**  
I was raised by the water  
By the crippling waves  
And the gulls gave me my singing voice  
  
When the devil came to visit me  
He said son I am your enemy  
Fear me  
But it came to my surprise  
I was drawn by the fire  
  
 **09 Guide Me God by Sinead O’Connor**  
(Are you here?)  
I'll always know you're there  
I will always know  
Guide me God and I will find you  
  
 **10 Angel’s Flight by Shadowfax**  
 _Instrumental_  
  
 **11 Dun Ringill by Jethro Tull**  
We'll wait in stone circles  
Till the force comes through  
Lines joint in faint discord  
And the storm watch brews  
  
A concert of kings  
As the white sea snaps  
At the heels of a soft prayer  
Whispered  
  
 **12 Wild Mountain Thyme by Abby Green**  
If my true love he were gone,  
Then I'd surely find another,  
To pull wild mountain thyme,  
All around the bloomin' heather.  
Will ye go, lassie, go?


End file.
